torch 1 of 2

noun

ˈtȯrch How to pronounce torch (audio)
Definition of torchnext
as in igniter
a person who deliberately and unlawfully sets fire to a building or other property several suspicious fires in the past few months have probably been set by the same torch

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torch

2 of 2

verb

as in to burn
to set (something) on fire police suspect that the owner torched the house for the insurance money

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of torch
Noun
Marr is the quarterback to whom an impossibly hot torch has been passed. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2026 To give the marshmallows a golden toast indoors, use a small culinary torch or indoor electric tabletop s’mores maker. — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Aug. 2026
Verb
Continue reading … 'SERIOUS SEXISM' — El-Sayed explains ‘ogre on a pike’ remark after getting torched by his own party. — FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026 The festivities also included an early birthday dinner at the Parisian restaurant Siena, where friends surprised Lopez with a Chantilly-style birthday cake topped with fresh berries and torched meringue, a source previously told PEOPLE. — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for torch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torch
  1. igniter
  2. burn
  3. arsonist
  4. light
  5. firebug
  6. fire
  7. ignite
  8. kindle
Noun
  • There’s a push-button ignitor on the left side and a power button for the digital display on the right.
    — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The campaign also included static-fire tests of the solid rocket motor and igniter.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 20 July 2026
Definition of igniter
Verb
  • Washoe County Sheriff's Office Now combined, the Fred Mountain Fire and the Bug Fire have burned more than 57,000 acres with no containment as of Tuesday night, according to fire officials.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • On the image-generation front, Google is burning tokens like never before.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of burn
Noun
  • Neighbor’s double take helped police identify accused wildfire arsonist as flames raced nearby.
    — , FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • There have been interesting things that have been revealed about the intentions of the arsonist based on some reporting by one of our reporters at USA Today, Natalie Alund.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of arsonist
Verb
  • The façade was lighted from below by the exterior lights that specified the building, separated it from the other night buildings.
    — Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Partnership feels friendly as nurturing Moon lights your 7th House of Partnership, trining harmonious Venus in your 11th House of Friends and Community.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of light
Noun
  • An arson fire destroys the 43-year-old Globe Theatre on March 8 (the arsonist was never caught, but a firebug had set several blazes in the park that winter).
    — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
  • In video released by police, the firebug could be seen setting fire to a small pile of trash next to the head of a sleeping passenger stretched out on the seat.
    — Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2025
Definition of firebug
Verb
  • The team flew over around 1,700 square miles, firing rapid laser pulses at the ground.
    — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Witnesses told police that guests at the wedding reception began fighting with one another and that at least two handguns were drawn before shots were fired.
    — Nicholas Lentz, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of fire
Verb
  • The attack ignited a massive blaze at gasoline-storage tank that burned through the night into Tuesday morning, according to the Civil Defense, a first responders’ agency.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The Hightowers ignite the trenches, effectively trapping the greybeards between a wall of stone and a wall of fire.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of ignite
Verb
  • These innocuous-seeming actions can kindle dry vegetation, potentially spawning a wildfire.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
  • Photography arrived, kindling an enthusiasm that Baudelaire, ever the cynic, compared to a lust for pornography.
    — Cal Revely-Calder, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of kindle

Phrases Containing torch

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Cite this Entry

“Torch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torch. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on torch

Nglish: Translation of torch for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about torch

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